As much as the Grammy Awards are a celebration of the last year's creative works and the people who made them happen, they are also a way to pay tribute to influences and icons of the music industry. Sunday night's ceremony included a segment memorializing Liam Payne and a tribute to Los Angeles, but also highlighted the work of musical legend Quincy Jones. It was then that green queen Cynthia Erivo took time out of her busy schedule to contribute a dazzling big band performance.
"In other words, I love you."
Erivo's performance in Wicked as Elphaba has garnered her nominations from BAFTAs to the Academy Awards. Cynthia is a Grammy winner herself, having been part of the cast who won Best Musical Theater Album in 2017 for The Color Purple, but she appeared on stage to perform Quincy Jones' "Fly Me to the Moon" as part of the tribute to the late musician. Says Cosmopolitan, "Cynthia Erivo and her incredible voice just took the stage at the 2025 Grammys...It was incredibly moving."
Moving is an understatement as she began the song with an intimate and wistful rendition of the classic song, accompanied by pianist Herbie Hancock. Suddenly, the set changed to reveal a big band ensemble as she transformed the love song into a showstopper worthy of Ella Fitzgerald. In addition to her playful melodic lines, her scatting covered an impressive range.
Cynthia Erivo gets a standing ovation during the tribute to Quincy Jones at the 2025 #Grammys pic.twitter.com/PCpbRaSF2D
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 3, 2025
The entire song matched her black Ashi Studio couture dress and sparkling hat, Soapcentral.com quoted her as saying that "I feel like I'm representing the song right now. It's very space-esque, intergalactic. There's something within the night sky."
The song ended with a standing ovation for the singer and a humble, grinning bow from Erivo. Her sweet nature in this performance reminds us of her Oscar nomination response on instagram in which she overflowed with gratitude:
She described herself as "grateful to be a part of something that makes people feel see, grateful to be a cog in the wheel of a piece that makes us believe in magic, grateful to have experienced a dream come true, and deeply deeply grateful for this unbelievable recognition."
Among her upcoming performances is opening night of the Boston Pops Spring 2025 season, at which we hope she will be introduced as Academy Award winner Cynthia Erivo. For now, we have our fingers crossed to see her on stage at next month's Oscars.